Forgotten Faces
by Dolphin-san
Summary: Kai finds an injured girl in the park and brings her home to heal. Drama follows. I REALLY don't like writing summaries. KH/OC Rated M for violence and mentions of abuse
1. Chapter 1

**Dolphin-san: Hello. If by any chance you read this and you begin to think 'Hey I've read this before!' you'd be kind of right. It was a fic that I started on mediaminer years ago but never finished. Well I decided to start posting the revised version on here ****. It's slightly longer and hopefully doesn't contain as many horrible spelling mistakes and plot holes that the story falls apart around. Well read on and (hopefully) enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. **

Regular

_Thoughts_

_**Dream**_

**KHKHKHKHKHKHKH**

Clouds rolled in from across the ocean, swirling, roiling with rage. The water at the base of the pier was becoming agitated, swirling around the pillars, waves lashing at the boards. As the sun set, it painted the scene an angry red. A lone figure stood at the end of the pier, facing the oncoming storm head on, yet his gaze never even registered the scene before him. He stared out across the bay, coat and scarf whipping about him in the winds, lost in thought.

_Tyson_, his glare deepened. _I can't believe you'd do that to me._

_12 hours earlier._

Kai woke to his alarm buzzing in his ear. Six thirty. He sighed, rolling over to switch it off and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He got up and started to get dressed. Walking across the room, Kai caught his reflection in his mirror. It made him stop. Kai knew that he'd not been sleeping well the last few nights, and it was starting to catch up with him. He stared at himself in the glass, noting the dark circles beneath his eyes, the lines at their edges, and the white pallor of his skin. He'd been having nightmares. Memories of his childhood were plaguing his mind, though there was still much he couldn't remember. Even in his dreams there were patches that seemed blurry, and a disembodied voice often spoke to him as though whispered.

It was the voice that haunted him even when he was awake. It was so familiar yet strange. A female voice, it whispered to him of his forgotten past, gave words of encouragement to him in his dreams, screamed in anger at his shadowy attackers. Sometimes in his waking hours, Kai believed that if he could just remember who the voice belonged to, his nightmares would end.

Fully dressed now, and with his trade mark blue paint on his cheeks, he silently left his room and headed down stairs and out to the training grounds of his family home. He had heard some people at school refer to his 'mansion', and it was much larger than the normal house, but he was grateful that it held so much extra space. As he started to jog around the track, he thought back on the events that had led him to open his home.

Roughly two and a half months before, Tyson's grandfather had become seriously ill. The doctor's had no idea what was wrong with him and his condition had rapidly deteriorated. Shortly after Gramps had been taken into hospital for observation, he passed away quietly in his sleep. It was a hard blow to everyone, but none so more than Tyson. Towards the end of Gramps' illness, Tyson began to sit for long periods of time, quietly staring at nothing and ignoring what was going on around him. After Gramps' death he began to join in with activities again, but inside he must have been feeling worse than anyone imagined.

He didn't speak again for three weeks.

After the funeral Tyson moved in with Max. However, a few weeks later Max's dad had announced that he would be getting back together with his estranged wife. Max had been so happy when he heard the news, and even Tyson had managed a small smile, but due to Judy's involvement with the All Starz, she couldn't leave, so Taro would have to move to America. Things were looking bad for Max and Tyson as Taro began to pack up his stuff and close shop, until Kai relented after three days of Max's non-stop worrying (both in person and over the phone) and opened his house to them.

The pair had looked so surprised when they moved in, as it was the first time they had seen Kai's home. It housed, Kai had explained as he gave them a tour, fifteen large bedrooms (each with their own en suit toilet/shower, TV, DVD player, stereo system and balcony), a professional kitchen, master bathroom with a large bathtub set into the floor, Jacuzzi, shower and sauna, a dining room, ballroom, large living room, two smaller lounges, study, extensive library and, Kai's personal favourite, a private Beyblade arena to use for practise. The last one was a recent addition, only added a few years ago when Kai had moved back to his family home.

The boys were so stunned they could hardly keep up as Kai walked briskly from room to room, explaining different features and showing them the rooms they would be sleeping in. He then lead them outside and told them that the house had twenty acres of land surrounding it, within which there were two tennis courts, a training obstacle course, a Beyblade dish for training outdoors and a small, but still quite large, portion of the forest that grew along the mountains behind the grounds. Kai also explained that he already had two other people living with him. Anastasia, who does the cooking along with some cleaning duties, such as laundry and polishing, and Jonathan, who is his driver and who also does other duties, such as gardening and accounting. He said that they would now be available to Max and Tyson should they have a need for anything.

Once the shock of their new home wore off, Max decided to write a letter to Ray, as he had no idea if the village in China where he lived had any phones, telling him everything that had happened over the last few weeks. Five days later, Kai answered a call from his distraught Chinese team mate, who demanded to know if Tyson was alright, why he hadn't been informed sooner of the situation and if it was possible for him to come and stay with them as well as he felt too far away and out of touch. It was the tears in Ray's voice that reached into Kai's heart and pulled the comforting words of confirmation out of his mouth. A few days later Ray showed up at Kai's door, having been picked up from the airport by Johnathan, seeming to be carrying his life in the canvas bag he had so often used during their tournaments.

It took another week for the three boys to convince Tyson to join them when they went to visit Gramps' gravestone. He was silent during the long ride to the graveyard, though he gently worked his hand into Max's and refused to let go as they walked. There was a moments silence as they reached the grave, before Tyson gave in and began to weep. Kai and Ray stood silent as they watched the two younger boys sink to the ground, the blonde holding the midnight haired boy to him protectively, and crooning soft words of comfort to him as his grief spilled from under matted lashes. Each was silent, lost in their own thoughts and memories of the benevolent man who was laid to rest under their feet, never to laugh with them again.

After that Tyson began talking again. Anastasia suspected, as she mentioned to Kai one day as he helped her prepare lunch, that it must have been a healing experience for the young boy, to have gone back and confronted his own feelings and memories of his grandfather. Kai had agreed with her, and quietly looked forward to the day when Tyson would return to the way he used to be, that is to say, rather loud and obnoxious, but otherwise a good person all round. However, over the next few weeks, a number of small incidents arose around the house, most of which Kai was able to trace back to Tyson. Usually, these were harmless pranks, though there had been a few, more serious, times where someone could have been harmed.

Kai roused himself from his musings as he completed his tenth round of the track and looked at his watch.

_Damn, I'm going to be late_, he thought moodily as he turned and headed back inside.

Deciding he had to forego his usual shower in place of a quick spray of deodorant and changing into his school clothes before leaving with the others to go to school. It was at lunch time, when Kai finally got fed up with people staring at him that he went to check his face in the bathroom mirror. He was horrified when he saw what everyone else had been seeing for hours, and had cursed the fact that he could not go home and remove the now offensively _bright pink _triangles from his face for another few hours. Unknown to Kai, Tyson's most recent prank had been to add something to his face paint which, when mixed with his sweat from his run this morning, had changed from blue to hot pink. Kai had to sit in the rest of his classes silently fuming and wishing a very painful, terrible death on everyone who turned to look at him.

It wasn't until they were standing in the entrance hall back home that Tyson finally turned to Kai, laughing.

"Oh my God! You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep a straight face this morning when you came downstairs. I mean, I knew _something_ was going to happen to that paint, but I never could have imagined it would be anything this _brilliant!_" he said, grinning.

What followed was a very heated argument between Kai and Tyson, in which some extremely hurtful comments were said on both sides. Max and Ray were left standing to the side watching. Both were torn between laughing with Tyson or sympathising with Kai. That was until;

"If you weren't so much of a coward that you have to hide behind that stupid paint, this never would have happened to you in the first place!"

There was a ringing silence. Even Tyson looked shocked at what he'd said and he quickly covered his mouth. He was worried that he had gone too far, and feared reprisal, but Kai's head was bowed, his hair covering most of his face making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Without saying a word, Kai turned towards the stairs, quickly climbing them and heading for his room. By the time he had changed out of his uniform and cleaned the offending paint off his face (making sure that the new coat he applied came from an unopened tin), the others had left the hallway, giving Kai a clear exit. Head down and walking fast, he had paid no mind to where he was heading until he found himself on the pier.

Kai was roused from his memories by the first fat, heavy drops of rain hitting his face. He tilted his face up towards the clouds, letting the rain wash over him, and Kai felt as though his anger was beginning to wash away with every drop of water that hit him. He knew that he was quick to anger, but Kai Hiwatari would not carry a grudge over something a team mate had done to him.

_I should probably go back and apologise for shouting at him._ Kai smirked to himself as he turned and began to head back home. _Maybe Tyson will have calmed down enough to apologise to me as well._

He had only made it as far as the park before stopping. Cursing himself for not taking an umbrella out with him, or at least a proper coat, Kai pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled.

"Hello, Johnathan? Could you come pick me up? I'm at North Hill Park. Yeah? Thanks."

Snapping the phone shut, he looked around for a marginally sheltered place where he could wait. Spotting a willow with low hanging braches, Kai hurried over, glad for the slight cover the winter-bare branches provided. He closed his eyes and listened to the hiss of the rain. It was a while before he noticed a small snapping noise from his left.

_Probably just a bird in the bushes_, he thought to himself, not moving or opening his eyes. Kai's brow creased into a frown however when he caught the sound of a small groan over the rain. His eyes opened as he turned and he squinted through the rain and gloom, trying to focus on the bushes across the path from him. He spotted a small gap between them, probably just large enough for a child to crawl under to hide from the rain, he noted. Sighing at the idea of being soaked again, Kai moved towards the gap to find out if a kid had indeed, been caught out in the storm. He felt himself freeze and his eyes widened at the sight of not a child, but a _teenaged_ girl unconscious on the ground. His fleeting impression that she may simply be drunk was pushed quickly from his mind when he noticed the congealed blood on her hands and the dark bruising blooming across her tanned cheek. He moved closer, pushing the branches of the bush aside. The girl opened her eyes.

Kai took an involuntary step backwards as, through the darkness the storm caused, a piercing silver gaze was trained on him. He shuddered, and was sure it had nothing to do with the cold. It was as if the girl was not just looking _at_ him, but _through_ him as well, _into_ him. She hadn't made a single movement, just slowly blinked, keeping her eyes on him. Kai moved closer again, crouching down beside her.

"Are you alright?" He inwardly cringed at his choice of words. Her appearance made it clear that she had been badly beaten, and Kai had noticed how she had recoiled slightly farther away from him as he got nearer. "Do you want me to call anyone to come get you? Your parents perhaps?" He reached out to touch her shoulder and she flinched away. Sighing (he seemed to be doing a lot of that today), he gently laid his hand on her arm and tried his best to look as non-threatening as possible. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you should really get out of this rain. You'll get sick."

Suddenly, they heard a rustle in dark from their right. The girl curled up tighter into a ball and Kai whirled around to look for the source of the noise. It occurred to him that the young girl's attacker might still be close by. He stayed as still as possible, straining to hear anything further. A minute passed and nothing had happened. Then, just as he began to relax, he spotted a movement to his right. He let out a low, shaky laugh. A squirrel had run out from under a bush and dashed up the willow Kai had been taking shelter under. He turned back to the girl. Her eyes were shut again and he relaxed muscles he hadn't noticed he had tensed. She looked as though she had passed out. The rain was increasing its relentless downpour and a gale was picking up at his back.

_I can't just leave her here, she might die_, he thought. Looking up, Kai noticed the headlights of his town car pull up at the edge of the park. Making a quick decision, he started to lift the girl into his arms, but was hindered when she suddenly regained consciousness and began to struggle against him.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, trying to sound soothing, "it's okay. I need to get you somewhere warm and dry, so I'm taking you back to my house. You'll be safe there, don't worry. You'll be okay. But you either need to stop fighting me or try and walk so we can get to my car."

The girl paused, and then gingerly tested her balance. She stumbled slightly and Kai pulled one of her arms around his shoulders, placing his own arm around her waist to keep her upright. They made slow progress through the rain towards the waiting car. Johnathan saw them coming out of the park and quickly ran to help Kai gently manoeuvre the girl into the back seat. Before Kai could climb in after her, Johnathan placed a hand on his shoulder and turned Kai round to face him.

"Master Kai, may I inquire as to the identity of your young friend?" he asked, his eyebrow quirked and brown eyes pinning Kai to the spot.

Kai glanced over his shoulder to the now sleeping girl in the car. "I honestly don't know, Johnathan, but what I do know is that she needs help." He turned back to the older man. "I can't shake the feeling that I've met her somewhere before, something about her eyes. . ."

Johnathan looked hard into Kai's face, searching for something. He must have found whatever he was looking for as after a few moments he nodded to himself and dropped his hand from Kai's arm. "Very well," he said. "Should I call ahead to Anastasia and have her prepare a room for our guest?"

"Yes, please," was all Kai said as he finally climbed into the back of the car and pulled the door shut. After a short pause, Johnathan followed suit, getting into the driver's seat and pulling away from the kerb. He glanced in the rear view mirror to his two passengers. Kai was staring out the window, deep in thought, and as the car turned a corner, the young girl fell slightly to the side, pressing against Kai, who subconsciously placed his arm around her once more.

Turning his attention back to the empty road in front of him, Johnathan smiled. He had known Kai since he had been just a baby, being in the employ of Kai's parents then, and he prided himself to know that he was one of the few people who knew the real side of the troubled adolescent. To most, Johnathan knew that Kai came off as cold and standoffish, someone who was out for himself and no one else, but he knew better. Kai had always put the needs of others before himself, and would often go out of his way to help, even if it didn't seem like it.

_And now it seems he is taking in people off the streets. Well, I suppose he has his own reasons. He seems to think he knows her, though for the life of me I can't begin to wonder where from._

The drive from the park to Kai's home was passed in silence. Once he had pulled into the driveway, Johnathan went to the back of the car to help Kai lift the girl out. They turned and saw Anastasia already standing in the doorway. Her face paled as she caught sight of the girl being supported between them.

"Oh my God, what's happened to the poor child?" She rushed forward and took her gently from the two men. Her years of work had made Anastasia a strong woman, and, standing at five foot ten, easily lifted the girl into her arms and carried her inside, Kai and Johnathan following her into the hallway. They heard running feet and Kai looked up to see Max, Tyson and Ray coming down the stairs. Tyson looked at the floor as he reached the hall, trying not to meet Kai's eyes as he tried to get his mouth to form words.

"Kai, I want to apologise for earlier. I was way out of line to say what I did –"

"Who's that?" Max cut off Tyson as he noticed the girl in Anastasia's arms. The three boys moved closer to the others, each trying to get a better look at the sleeping girl.

"She'll be staying with us for a while until she recovers and gets her strength back. That's all you need to know right now." Kai turned to Anastasia. "If you have a room already prepared for her, you can take her upstairs. Johnathan, I would like the family doctor here as soon as possible to check her over."

Anastasia didn't even waste time answering Kai as she headed upstairs. Ray moved out of her way as she passed, and turned to look questioningly at Kai. Johnathan moved to the phone.

"Also, when she wakes up give her something to eat, anything she wants make sure she has it. Don't let her leave the house, either," he added in a low voice. "I keep thinking that whoever hurt her may still be looking for her, and I don't want them to find her."

"Of course, Master Kai." He picked up the phone from its hook and went into the next room to call the doctor.

Kai turned to the others, finally acknowledging that they were there. Three stunned faces looked back at him as he began to head upstairs. He really needed to rest; the day's events began to bear down on him.

"Kai."

He paused on the stairs, looking back over his shoulder at Ray, who looked steadily back at him.

"Who is that?" The other boy looked up at him, concerned. Kai closed his eyes and turned on the stairs.

"I don't know, Ray, I really don't. I wish I knew. . . But she needs my help that much I do know. Don't ask me how I know that, it's just a gut feeling I have. You guys had better get some rest," he changed the topic of conversation quickly; "we'll have a busy day tomorrow at the Beyblade Expo."

With that he turned and headed back up the stairs. Reaching the top, instead of turning left towards his bedroom, he turned right towards the rest of the Bladebreakers bedrooms and moved along the corridor until he reached the room that he knew Anastasia kept for guests. He knocked gently and waited for Anastasia to open the door. When she didn't appear, Kai opened the door quietly and peeked inside.

The room was dark, only a small lamp on the bedside table was switched on casting a glow of soft light across the figure of the sleeping girl on the bed. Her hair was spread across the pillow, framing her face which in the darkness of the room looked paler. Kai moved across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached across and tucked some of the stray hairs that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear.

_Why can't I shake the feeling that I know you? You're a total stranger, but I feel like I've known you my whole life_. He looked at her face as though searching for the answers to his questions. She stirred, slowly opening her eyes, and the room seemed to get a bit brighter. Kai quickly removed his hand from her head. Her eyes darted around the room.

"Where am I?" Her voice was so soft that Kai almost never heard her.

"You're safe," he murmured, "I brought you back to my house so you can get better. I've called a doctor to come give you a check, he'll be here soon. You're going to be okay."

She looked at him with questioning eyes. Kai held her gaze, not daring to blink. What he saw in them was almost enough to steal his breath away. So much fear and anger, but also confusion, hurt and (strangely) complete trust. It unnerved him and he looked away.

"Okay." He heard the trust mirrored in her voice. Standing up he started to walk over to the door. "Please don't leave me here alone."

Her silver eyes were trained on him, peeking out from under her dark fringe.

"Why?" he inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

She just shrugged. "I just don't want to be alone."

Kai's shoulders slumped as he walked back to the bed. He sat next to her and she moved closer to him. Putting his arm around her again, Kai gently rubbed her back in soothing circles until her breathing evened out and she was asleep. Looking down, he noticed that she had a frown on her face.

_Must be having a nightmare_, he thought, waving it away as memories of his own bad dreams floated to the front of his mind. He gently removed her arms from his waist and stood up, stretching and heading over to the door, planning to ask Johnathan when the doctor would be arriving. Behind him, Kai heard the girl cry out in her sleep. Looking back at her, he noticed she was gripping the sheets where he had been a moment ago. Her eyes opened again and found him standing in the middle of the room.

"Where are you going?" she mumbled, still half asleep.

"I was just going to get a glass of water," he said easily, grabbing the empty glass that Anastasia had left at the side of the bed. He got his water and returned to the bed, pulling the small girl onto his lap. She tucked her head under his chin and was soon asleep again.

Kai closed his eyes and let his mind drift. It surprised him how at ease he felt around this girl, this stranger that he'd only just met. For the life of him he couldn't understand what had made him hold her like he was now, it just felt natural to do so. He listened to gentle rhythm of her breathing and he began to drift off to sleep.

_**He was standing in a cold, dark room. Machines lined the wall and a muted green glow came from tanks that were mounted next to them. He could tell that there was something in them, but what they were he was unsure. Too scared to lift his head for a proper look at his surroundings, Kai stared at the flagstone floor. He felt his body wracked with shivers, from both the cold of the room and fear. Footsteps approached where he kneeled on the floor, unhurried and even. Dread crept down his spine.**_

"_**Kai, when will you stop failing at even the simplest tasks? I ask so little of you. . ." The man's voice trailed off as his shoes came into Kai's line of view. "Such simple tasks. It's like you do this on purpose, making me look incompetent to your Grandfather."**_

_**The first blow caught him off guard and Kai fell to the floor with a cry. He barely had time to bring his arm up to protect him from the next, and a foot caught him in the stomach. Kai folded in on himself as more blows rained down on him.**_

"_**You are a useless, pathetic waste of my time. If it wasn't for your Grandfathers insistence that you be here I would throw you out faster than you could blink."**_

_**Kai felt a hand grab his hair and he was wrenched up to look into cold violet eyes. He felt his eyes betray him as tears began to run down his face. Boris sneered at him.**_

"_**You see what I mean. Crying like a baby." **_

_**He was thrown to the floor. As Kai tried to pull himself up he heard a door open from somewhere behind him and he heard a faint voice shout at his attacker. A blur rushed past to stand between him and Boris.**_

"_**Don't get in the way again, you're punishment will be more severe than the last time."**_

_**Kai heard a voice say something angrily back, but he couldn't make out what was said. It was as though when they spoke his ears had been filled with cotton wool. He looked up at the figure in front of him and frowned. His vision of whoever was there was blurry, but he could make out a few of their features when they turned to him, crouching down to help him. Long dark hair fell around a soft face and piercing silver eyes came into focus. He tried to shout out a warning as from behind her Boris threw another punch at her head.**_

Kai jerked awake as there was a knock at the door. He shifted the sleeping girl from his lap and went to open the door to let the doctor in. As the man in the white coat walked past him, Kai glanced uneasily at the girl on the bed. The eyes of the girl in his dream flitted through his mind as the doctor began his examination. Kai watched as the man checked her breathing and pulse, then began to gently press at the bruising on her face and down her sides. He carefully rotated each of her wrists and ankles, making notes on a little notebook he had open on the bedside table. He had been the Hiwatari family doctor since before Kai had been born and so Kai trusted him.

"Hmm, I believe she has twisted her ankle and she has got some very bad bruising on her ribs. This damage seems very recent, Mr Hiwatari. It will however be an easy recovery for her. You just need to let her rest. I recommend you give her a good meal when she wakes up. She does seem a little malnourished." The doctor rummaged in his bag for a moment before pulling out a small bottle, which he handed to Kai. "You need to get her to take three of these when she wakes up, then two with meals, one before she eats and one after. They should help her regain her strength. Don't let her try to do too much too soon. She could probably start out a light training plan after about a week to test out that ankle." He lifted the girls top marginally and began wrapping bandages around her ribs, which Kai now saw were coved with bruises. At the sight, he was reminded again of his dream. When the doctor finished with the bandages, he stood and turned to Kai. "Call me if her condition changes," he said sternly.

"Of course," Kai replied as, with a final bow, the doctor left the room. Kai rubbed his tired eyes and lay back down on the bed. He knew he should have gone back to his own room, but he was too tired to care. The girl next to him rolled over in her sleep and wrapped one arm around his torso and he felt a small sleepy smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He figured that it was simply because she was here that she had featured in his last dream, simply a new idea that his mind was trying to come to terms with. Kai pulled her closer as he began to drift off back to sleep.

**KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH**

**Dolphin-san: Well I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review, they're what my creativeness survives on.**

**Ja Ne **


	2. Chapter 2

**Dolphin-san: Well hello there! Second chapter up finally. I never realised how long it takes to rewrite a story. I try to keep to how I wrote it years ago but I want to add in extra bits that I felt like I missed, then I want to delete parts that I didn't like before so then I have to try and make the new parts fit in with the story. Anyway, I hope it's turning out alright and I hope that you all enjoy the story. Also, I'd like to thank ****XOKiyokoAoiXO**** and ****justareader10**** for your lovely reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.**

Regular

_Thoughts_

_**Dream**_

"_**Bit Beast Speech."**_

_Telekinesis._

**KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH**

The storm from the night before had died down and a weak winter sun was shining through a crack in the heavy drapes hanging in front of large bedroom windows. The shaft of light lazily made its way across the room as the early hours of the morning drifted by until it came to rest on the faces of two sleeping teens. The girl stirred slightly and silver eyes blinked sleepily taking in her surroundings.

_Ugh, where . . . where am I? What time is it? _She moved her arm to cover her face from the light. _Ow, God, I hurt all over. What the hell happened yesterday?_ She tried to force her brain to remember the events of the night before, but failed. Fleeting shadows were her only memories of what had transpired. _I must have hit my head at some point._

Moving to sit up, the girl found that there was something around her waist. She looked back, and almost let out a startled yelp at both the pain from her ribs and the sight of the dual hair coloured boy lying asleep next to her.

_Kai. But how . . ._ She closed her eyes as the memories she had been trying to remember came flooding back. She's been walking home to her apartment when she had been attacked, she managed to shake them off and loose them before ending up in the park and then . . . and then Kai had found her. He had brought her back to his home and even said he'd called a doctor for her.

Gently removing Kai's arm from around her waist, the girl stood up and looked around the room, smiling. Dark furnishings were the dominant features, but here and there were a few small touches that made the room feel lived in. There was a small pile of books left on the desk and paintings hung on the walls. She moved over to the chest of drawers and looked inside; pulling out a few articles of clothes before moving to a door she noticed leading off from the side of the room. She glanced round the door to fin it was a bathroom. She looked back at Kai's sleeping figure as she closed the door behind her.

_He won't mind if I borrow some of his clothes for a while,_ she thought as she turned the lock.

Kai woke a little later to the soft sound of running water coming from the bathroom. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, using his hands to rub the sleep from his eyes. Cracking one eye open slightly, Kai noticed he wasn't in his own bedroom. The events of last night flooded back to him and he sat bolt upright, looking around wildly.

_Where is she? She shouldn't be walking around with an injured ankle,_ he thought as he pulled the cover off of him and stood up. The sound of the water finally reached his ears and he let out a relieved breath. Kai ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up even more than usual, and headed over to the door. He knocked and waited for an answer.

"Yeah?" The voice that came through the door was much less quiet and timid than what he had heard the previous night. In his still sleep addled state it took him a second to realise that it was the same girl.

"Are you okay in there?" he asked.

"Does it sound like I'm not okay?" Kai could hear the laughter in her voice as she answered. He smiled.

_Well she certainly sounds like she's recovering fine,_ he thought. Leaning against the doorframe, he called back, "Are you almost done?"

"I'll be out in a minute. Just hang on."

Kai could hear the shower being turned off and a rustling that could have been clothes. He took a step back as the door opened and the girl stepped out. She looked at him a little guiltily.

"Sorry," she said, gesturing to the clothes she was wearing. "I couldn't wear the clothes I came here in because they were all torn. I found these in the drawers over there, and thought you wouldn't mind. . ." Her voice trailed off when she noticed that Kai wasn't paying attention.

He had been caught off guard when she had come out the bathroom. Her dark hair was still damp and small tendrils of her fringe clung to her forehead, her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the water and her eyes were lit up. But that wasn't what had caught Kai's attention. The clothes that she had chosen were some of Kai's training outfits. The T-shirt was far too big for her (as Kai had chosen it for its loose fit) and hung from her shoulder. She had to keep pulling it back up. She'd picked a pair of sweat pants that Kai had been meaning to exchange because he'd accidentally chosen ones that were two sizes too big, and she had tied her belt round her hips to keep them up. He snapped his attention back to the girl in front of him when he realised she had stopped talking.

"I can ask Hillary to bring some clothes that might fit you over with her," he said, blushing lightly as he looked away.

_She's taller than I thought last night,_ he thought, trying to distract himself from his own imagination. _Slightly smaller than Tyson and Ray, but still tall for a girl._ He turned around as she walked over to the bed. She picked up the trousers that she'd had on the previous night and searched around in the pockets.

"Who's Hillary?" she asked as she drew out a hair tie and began braiding her hair. She kept her eyes down and wouldn't look at him.

Kai thought he could detect a hint of jealousy in her voice. Confused he said, "She's a friend of Tyson and Kenny's. She's been in their class for years and comes to cheer us on at our matches. Actually, she should be leaving her house to get here soon, so I should call her now to ask about those clothes."

The girl pouted and looked back over to Kai.

"But I like these ones. They're comfy." She said it like it was ending the discussion. Kai rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. You should wear clothes that fit. Fitted clothes will probably keep you warmer, and its winter. You need to be warm," he stated firmly.

He moved over to the side of the bed and picked up the bottle the doctor had given him for her.

"Um, the doctor said you should take three of these when you woke up," he said, feeling a little awkward. He heard her sigh before she held out her hand to take them. She swallowed them down in one gulp before Kai could get her a glass of water. The girl shuddered.

"I hate taking pills."

Kai screwed the lid back on the bottle and placed it on the nightstand. The girl stood up again and Kai looked at her as if noticing something for the first time.

"What?" she asked.

"The doctor said you had sprained your ankle, aren't you in pain?" he asked, concerned for her. She looked down at her feet.

"Not really, just some pain and stiffness in my ribs that's all." Kai was still looking at her, amazed.

"Well," he said, "you should rest anyway. Lie back down and I'll ask Anastasia to bring some breakfast up for you. What would you like?"

She thought about it for a minute. "Just anything will be fine." She sat down again on the bed and moved up to sit against the headboard.

"Okay, well she should be bringing breakfast up to you soon, so just try to get some more rest." Kai headed over to the door. As the door closed behind him he looked back at the girl sitting on the bed, silver eyes watching him leave.

Downstairs in the dining room, the Bladebreakers were sitting in pyjamas and trying to figure out who it was that Kai had brought home last night.

"Kai seemed to know her, but why wouldn't he tell us who she is? I don't care if he says he doesn't know, I got the feeling he was hiding something from us," Ray said, looking up from his plate at Max and Tyson who sat across from him.

"I don't know, but I'm sure Kai had his own reasons for not telling us, even if he does know her. Hey," Tyson's eyes lit up and he grinned as an idea suddenly struck him, "maybe she's like an ex-girlfriend of his or something. He definitely wouldn't have told us who she was if that's it."

Max stopped stuffing his sugary cereal into his mouth and turned to Tyson. "You really think so, Tyson? I mean, Kai probably wouldn't tell us even if she _was_ his ex, but then why would he be taking care of her now? Come on, it's Kai we're talking about. He doesn't even like it if_ we_ do something wrong, how do you think he would be with someone who may have actually hurt his feelings?"

"Yeah," Tyson replied, "but don't you think Kai should tell us anyway?"

"Tell you what?"

Tyson jumped at the sound of his team captain's voice. Kai had managed to walk up behind him without Tyson noticing. He turned round to face Kai, looking a little sheepish.

"Um, you know, that you should tell us . . . uh, I mean . . ." he stammered, not looking Kai in the eye.

"Who the girl you brought home is," Ray finished Tyson's sentence, throwing him an exasperated look.

"Like I told you all last night, I don't know who she is. If I did, then I would tell you." Kai turned to Anastasia as she walked through from the kitchen carrying a serving plate covered in breakfast meats. "Anastasia, could you bring up some food to our guest? She said anything you make her would be fine."

"Of course, Master Kai." Anastasia gave Kai a small bow and went back into the kitchen.

"Thank you." Kai sat down with his team mates and started putting food on his plate. He was half finished before Tyson spoke up again, braver this time since he was no longer caught out.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" he asked Kai, leaning across the table a little. "You're actually telling us that you brought home a complete stranger? Are you mad? You don't know anything about this girl and yet you just invite her into your home?"

Kai raised one eyebrow at the midnight haired blader. "You're right Tyson, it is my home, and I'm free to open it to whomever I see fit. Are you forgetting that I also let _you_ live here?"

Tyson sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. He frowned at Kai. "Yeah, but you knew us for _years_ beforehand. You knew that we weren't likely to, I don't know, kill you in your sleep or something."

"Well then, I still consider myself just as safe with her in the house as with _you_." Kai glared at Tyson, yesterday's little prank still fresh in his mind.

"You'll be glad to know that I'm not likely to kill _anyone_ in their sleep then."

Max and Tyson jumped at the sound of the new voice right behind them. Everyone looked at the girl who stood in the doorway. The glare she had levelled at Tyson was frostier than Kai's own.

"But get on my bad side and you'll wish you'd never met me," she growled.

"Help me Max!" Tyson screamed as he jumped up from his chair and ran round to the other side of the table away from her. To their surprise, the girl started laughing.

"Oh man, you should see your face!" she said between giggles. "That was priceless." Her face seemed much softer with a smile and Tyson edged back to his chair so he could continue eating.

"You know, that wasn't very nice," Max said as he patted Tyson's arm, trying to console his friend.

The girl was still sniggering. "I know, I know, but it was so easy. I saw a chance and took it. Ow." She raised a hand up to her bandaged ribs and gave them a rub. Kai got up and led her to a seat next to him. Anastasia came back out of the kitchen holding a tray with eggs, sausage, toast and orange juice on it. Spotting that their guest was now seated at the table, she placed the tray in front of the girl and smiled at her.

"Thank you," said the girl, smiling back at her. She tucked into her breakfast as Anastasia cleared the other empty plates from the table. Glancing up, she noticed Kai was watching her. "What?"

"I thought I told you to lie down and rest," Kai stated, raising one eyebrow. She smirked back at him as she raised a glass of orange juice and took a long drink.

"You did, yes, but you didn't say I had to stay there, did you?"

Ray sat watching the girl warily. Something was niggling at the back of his mind, driving him mad to just be sitting quietly in his seat.

"Who are you?" he blurted out suddenly, causing everyone seated around the table to turn and stare at him. Shrinking down in his chair slightly, he repeated quietly, "Who are you?"

The girl looked up at him properly for the first time since coming into the room. Ray saw something like recognition flit across her face.

"My name?" the girl's eyes widened. "Oh my god, sorry, I haven't even introduced myself yet, have I? Uh, most people call me Reiko, it's what I've been called since . . . but that's not important just now. My actual name is Yin, Yin Kon. But you can all call me Reiko if you want."

Everyone turned to stare at her instead.

"What?" she asked, looking back at each of them in turn.

"Where. . . where did you grow up?" Ray asked, so nervous that he clasped his hands together in his lap.

"Russia," Reiko answered slowly, wondering where this conversation was heading. She had noticed Ray's hands shaking and looked at him, worried. "I was born in a village in China. I was taken to Russia when I was a year old. Sometimes I wish I had been able to stay with my parents." She smiled to herself. "Mum was pregnant when I left. They were going to have a little boy. I'm not sure what happened to them." She picked up her toast and began nibbling the edge. The more she looked at Ray the more familiar he seemed to her. Small details of his face were similar to her own, though his molten gold eyes were the opposite of her own silver.

Ray let out a shaky breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding in. "I hate to be the one to say this, if my feelings are right, but you're parents are dead." He flinched as Reiko dropped her toast and stared at him, open mouthed. "But you're little brother's still alive, he's okay," he added hastily.

"How do you know this?" Ray shrank back again at the thinly veiled anger in her voice. "I don't know what happened to any of them, so how do _you_ know?"

"Because your brother is . . . he's . . . sitting in this chair."

There was silence around the room. Kai was looking between Ray and Reiko, deciding who looked more stunned. Max was staring wide eyed at both of them and Tyson's eyes were like saucers. Suddenly, Reiko jumped up, moved quickly around the table and stood next to Ray's chair. He looked up at her and gave her a nervous smile. The other's watched as she sank down to her knees and pulled Ray into a tight hug, both laughing happily.

"How can you be sure that you are related?" Max asked, though with them sitting so close together, the resemblance between them was hard to miss.

Reiko, beaming like all her Christmas' had come early, looked up at him from where she sat next to Ray, one arm still around his shoulders. "He looks so much like our dad that I can't believe I didn't notice it right away."

Tyson seemed to regain the use of his vocal chords. "But how can you even remember things like that? You said you left when you were one." He stared at Reiko incredulously.

She looked down at the floor, momentarily embarrassed. "I have an eidetic memory. I can actually remember everything that's happened in my life from maybe a month or so after I was born. Um, I'm pretty smart and my development was much faster than other children. For instance, where as a normal baby might be able to crawl and make sounds like talking by one year old, I was as far along as an average four or five year old. So it is easy for me to remember things like what my parents looked like, and how happy I was that I was going to be a big sister. I can even remember that they were still talking about what to name you when I left." Reiko's face was beet red from having to talk about herself.

Ray smiled softly at her. "Raymond. They chose Raymond, but everyone just calls me Ray."

"Ray," Reiko tested the sound of the name and smiled back at him. "It's a great name." She leaned forward and hugged him again, happier than she had been in a long time to have found her little brother safe and well.

Kai had been sitting quietly on the other side of the table, watching their reunion with a small smile. Hearing Reiko's name mentioned had recalled something in his mind, though he couldn't quite grasp what it was. Shaking his head he looked at his watch and realising the time stood up.

"Much as I hate to have to cut short your reunion, we need to get ready. You two aren't even dressed yet," he said frowning at Max and Tyson who were sitting still in their pyjamas. "Get a move on; we need to leave in fifteen minutes."

"Where are you going?" Reiko asked as the others got up and left the room.

Kai was clearing his plates and utensils into a neat pile for Anastasia. "We have been scheduled to take part in a Beyblade exhibition match today." He looked over the table at her, interoperating the gaze she held him in. "No you can't come with us," he said shortly.

Reiko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why not?"

"Because you need to rest." He held up a hand to stop her from interrupting him. "I don't care if you say you don't need to, its doctor's orders. Besides," his voice dropped to a softer note, "if you're here then I at least know there's someone watching over you."

"I don't need_ watching over_," Reiko's temper was rising. "I'm older than you, all of you actually!"

Kai decided he didn't have the time to question how she knew how old he was exactly. Instead he said as he walked towards the door, "I still don't care. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get myself ready."

Reiko sighed in frustration, sinking back into her chair and putting her head in her hands.

_Why do I always seem to start arguments with him?_ she asked herself dejectedly.

"_**Just to see how he reacts,"**_ a voice purred in her ear.

The raven haired girl jumped and turned in her seat to face the figure that had appeared in Kai's vacated seat.

"How many times have I asked you not to do that? Warn me the next time you decide to come out of your blade, okay Jiana?" Reiko glared at the woman who was now sniggering slightly.

The girl, Jiana, was actually Reiko's own bit beast. Normally appearing as a black tiger with silver armour, markings and eyes, Jiana, like all bit beasts, could also show herself in a human form, something that wasn't common knowledge to the large majority beybladers. She now sat with her legs pulled up on the chair, smiling at Reiko as a dark skinned, white haired woman with the same piecing silver eyes as her master.

"_**I know that you don't really care if I come out or not, you're just worried that someone will see me,"**_ Jiana said smoothly.

"Can you blame me?" Reiko asked, leaning back in her chair. "Kai's the only one here who I really know, and I don't think he even remembers me, let alone about you," she told the other as she tried to figure out a way she could get out of the house without anyone noticing.

"_**You shouldn't do that. Kai's only looking out for you, after all,"**_ the white haired woman said as she pried into the mind of her master.

"That's another thing you should stop doing, listening to my thoughts," Reiko said looking down at the table, a little upset that her bit beast seemed to like often ignoring her privacy like that.

"Who are you talking to?"

Reiko looked up at the sound of the new voice to see a brown haired girl standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She looked silently at the new girl's attire, and shuddered slightly. Pink top and a short white skirt. The girl shifted nervously under Reiko's calculating gaze.

Finally Reiko turned her eyes back to the younger girl's face. "I was talking to myself," she lied easily, knowing without having to look that Jiana had already retreated to the safety of her blade resting in her pocket. "You're Hillary, right?"

"Yeah. Kai called me and asked if I could lend you some clothes," Hillary said awkwardly.

"He said he'd do that," Reiko said as she stood from the table. Walking round to the other girl she noticed that she was not only older, but taller than the brunette as well. Hillary shrugged off the backpack she wore, placed it on the table and started pulling items out of it.

"I think you'd look good in a skirt and a blouse," she was saying as Reiko watched her pull out several tops in varying shades of pink. She could practically hear Jiana laughing in her mind.

Rolling her eyes, Reiko stopped Hillary as she reached into her bag again.

"Just one thing, well, two actually. No skirts and no, and I mean NO, pink please," she said to the shorter teen.

"Oh," Hillary looked a little put out. "Okay then." She resumed rummaging in her bag and finally pulled out a plain black top, which she handed to Reiko. Hillary wouldn't meet Reiko's eye.

Reiko smirked to herself as she took the top from Hillary. It was obvious to her that she made the other girl nervous.

"_**I don't think you should upset her deliberately, Reiko,"**_ Jiana said quietly in Reiko's mind.

_Why not?_ she asked the dark tiger._ It would just be for a laugh._

"_**I'm not sure yet. I just get a weird feeling from her. Please don't do anything to aggravate her until I'm sure about what I'm sensing, okay?"**_

_Sure_, Reiko thought back to the now silent bit beast. She had always trusted Jiana's judgement.

"I wish Kai had told me you don't like skirts, because I don't have any trousers with me and they'd probably be too short on you anyway."

"That's fine, I'll just ask Kai if he has any decent jeans he can lend to me," Reiko said, shrugging her shoulders.

Hillary laughed as she started putting the spare clothes back in her bag. She looked over at Reiko with a sneer. "Do you actually think that just because Kai let you rest here, he'll let you borrow his clothes as well? You really don't know Kai then."

Reiko, who knew she was quick to anger, tried to keep her temper in check, mindful of what Jiana had told her.

"You think you know him better?" she asked, her voice a dangerous low growl.

Hillary ignored the warning tone in Reiko's voice. "Well yeah. I've known Kai for almost two years now, and you've known him for what? Less than a day?" She smirked as she looked Reiko up and down maliciously. "Of course I know Kai better than you."

She had barely finished talking when an invisible force knocked her back over the table behind her. She hit the wall and slid down, where she lay whimpering. Reiko walked slowly around the table, one arm outstretched towards Hillary, who watched her fearfully. She was furious with the brunette, her pupils had become slits of anger and her eyes shone bright. Jiana appeared behind her and caught the back of her top, stopping her in her tracks.

"_**You shouldn't have done that, Reiko,"**_ the bit beast said solemnly. No one noticed as the others came into the room, drawn to the sound of the commotion.

"I don't care! I refuse to stand here and listen to some stupid little girl talk down to me as though I'm somehow beneath her. You think I don't know Kai," she hissed at the girl lying on the floor. "You really think that I _don't know_ the boy that I grew up with? That I went through Hell and back to try to protect? The boy that I _suffered_ for at the Abbey? You dare to stand there and say that you know him better than me?" Reiko yelled, near tears as she struggled to get out of Jiana's grip. Memories of her dark past flashed through her mind, fuelling her rage.

Kai was the first to react and quickly moved to pull Reiko back from Hillary. However, something strange happened as soon as he placed his hand on her outstretched arm. Images bombarded his mind without warning, causing him to stumble backwards, dragging Reiko around with him.

_**He was thrown to the floor. As Kai tried to pull himself up he heard a door open from somewhere behind him.**_

"_**Kai!" A blur rushed past to stand between him and Boris.**_

"_**Don't get in the way again, you're punishment will be more severe than the last time."**_

"_**I don't care what happens to me." Kai could make out the familiar face of his friend as she crouched down in front of him. She had reached out to pull him up when Kai saw Boris throw a punch towards the back of her head.**_

"_**Reiko look out!" he yelled in warning.**_

_**He watched as Reiko whipped around and pushed both arms out away from her body, halting the much larger form of Boris and throwing him backwards into the rear wall of the room. Kai's eyes were like saucers. She's hadn't touched Boris.**_

"_**Reiko," he stammered, still behind her.**_

_**She looked over her shoulder at him. "Just stay there Kai."**_

"_**You little bitch," Boris was climbing to his feet and advancing once more. Reiko once again swept her arm at him, trying to push him back, but Boris only moved a little this time. His cold laugh filled the room. "You always seem to forget that your little powers weaken each time you use them." He stumbled as she tried again. "You need to give them time to recharge before using them again." Boris stopped next to her, a sneer twisting his face. "And I'm not going to give you that."**_

_**Quicker than the two children could defend against, Boris lashed out and struck Reiko in the side of the head and knocking her to the floor. He kicked her when she landed and she slid across the floor away from Kai. She lay lifeless as Boris looked down at the small boy at his feet.**_

"_**I won't punish you further this time. Watching your little friend be beaten must have hurt much more than anything I could have done." Boris walked out the room, cruel laughter ringing in Kai's ears.**_

When Kai came to, he found his team mates nervously standing over him. Hillary was sat in a chair at the table and Kai noticed Reiko standing apart from everyone, being held by a strange dark skinned woman.

"I told you to watch her, Kai," Tyson said as Ray helped Kai to his feet. "First she attacks Hillary and then she knocked you out!"

"_**Tyson, Reiko never meant to harm Hillary, and she would never do anything to bring harm to Kai or his friends."**_ Jiana looked up from Reiko and noticed everyone staring at her. She realised guiltily that she'd completely disregarded the one thing Reiko asked of her. Keep out of sight of others. _**"Damn,"**_ she said quietly.

"Who the hell are you?" Max asked.

Reiko sighed as she pulled away from Jiana. "This is my bit beast, Jiana. I had asked that she _not_ show herself to others to avoid this situation." She looked over to the bit beast, which looked away.

Kai frowned as a new memory surfaced. "I thought your bit beast was a black tiger?" he asked slowly.

"You mean this?" Jiana changed into her beast form, standing next to Reiko as a black tiger with silver armour, markings and eyes. Though she chose not to appear at her regular beast size, she was still larger than a real tiger.

"I never knew they could do that! How did you train her to do that, Reiko?" Tyson asked excitedly, completely forgetting about Hillary who glared at him.

Reiko smiled slightly, glad that no one seemed too angry at her. "You don't train them how to do it, Tyson. All bit beasts have a human form; it's just up to them to decide if they trust you enough to show it." Jiana let out a small appreciative purr and disappeared back into Reiko's Beyblade.

"Tyson, I don't think that's the point," Hillary said angrily as she stood up. She turned to Kai. "The point is that she attacked me. What are you going to do about her Kai? I don't feel safe with her here." She batted her eyes flirtatiously at Kai, trying to get him to do what she wanted.

Her efforts were wasted however. "Hillary," Kai said, thinking of what he had seen in his memory, "Reiko doesn't normally use her powers unless she's protecting someone or as self-defence. Though she may lose her temper sometimes."

"Powers? What do you mean powers?" Ray asked, looking between Kai and Reiko. They both looked back at him.

"Well," Kai began, "as far as I can remember, you wouldn't want her to hit you. Even if she doesn't use her full strength, she could still break your bones. So seeing as Hillary's bones are all okay," Hillary threw him a dirty look, "Reiko must have used her psychic powers."

Everyone looked confused.

"I'm sorry, did you say _psychic_ powers?" Max asked incredulously.

Kai walked slowly over to Reiko, who watched him closely as he approached. When he came to a stop he reached out and touched her arm again. "You should show them," he said to her gently. Reiko looked at him as if he'd gone mad.

_Are you sure Kai?_

He jumped when he heard Reiko's voice echo slightly in his mind. She flinched.

_Sorry._ Reiko looked at him sheepishly.

Kai took a deep breath and thought, _Just show them. They won't get scared. I know I was a little startled,_ he added when she looked at him disbelieving, _it's just that I, well, forgot a lot of what you can do._ He was trying to tactfully say that he had actually forgotten her completely. _But I'm starting to remember. Show them, they'll be fine._

Reiko sighed and nodded. The rest of the group had been watching them, concerned as they had been just staring at each other for a couple of minutes and not doing anything else. Reiko looked over at them and her gaze landed on Tyson. He gulped and moved away slightly. She put out her arm and began to lift it slowly. Tyson made a small startled noise as he felt an invisible force wrap around him and lift him off his feet. He struggled against it and dropped to the ground with a thump. Max hurried over and helped him up.

"Why did you drop him?" Kai asked her.

"Because he struggled. I won't hold him against his will," Reiko said simply, looking at her feet.

"How did you do that?" Max looked at her, amazed.

"I'll tell you some other time," she mumbled.

"Come on guys, we're going to be late," Ray said, taking charge of the others as he led Max, Tyson and Hillary out the door. Tyson shot Reiko a fearful look over his shoulder as he left.

Reiko sighed and leant in towards Kai, who was still holding her arm. "I told you they'd be frightened," she said against his shoulder.

Kia smirked down at her. "That was just Tyson. Ray seemed to just accept it and Max probably thinks you're magic or something."

She pulled away from him and he dropped his arm. He could still see tears swimming in her silver eyes. "I'm sorry for losing my temper at Hillary. If it wasn't for you and Jiana, I might have actually hurt her," she whispered.

Kai gently lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"I don't think you would have hurt her. You're a good person, Reiko."

She smiled brightly up at him, realising for the first time that he had grown taller than her over the years. She remembered with a start the T-shirt she was still holding in her other hand.

"Hillary didn't bring any jeans or trousers with her, only skirts," she pulled a face. "I was wondering if I could perhaps borrow a pair of yours. They'd keep me warmer that these." She motioned to the sweat pants she was already wearing.

"Sure. Come on and I'll see if I've got a pair that'll fit you," Kai said as he led the way back upstairs.

"I don't mind if they're a little too big, I do have a belt you know," Reiko said as she followed Kai into his bedroom. Kai began rummaging through his drawers and went into his closet. He emerged a minute later with a pair of baggy blue jeans.

"Try these on," he said as he held them out to Reiko. He turned round to give her privacy when she started to change in the room. It was also to hide the faint blush that spread across his cheeks.

"Thanks. These'll do for now," Reiko smiled at him when he turned back around.

They walked back downstairs to find everyone waiting in the hallway. Anastasia was handing a bag to Ray, explaining that she'd packed a few snacks for them and he was not to let Tyson eat everything. Reiko caught Hillary throw her a dark look when she noticed she was wearing a pair of Kai's trousers. As Kai joined the group, Johnathan appeared through the front door, announcing that he'd pulled the car around to take them to the Stadium.

Anastasia and Reiko stood at the door watching them pile into the car. Before leaving, Ray turned to Reiko and gave her a searching look. She smiled as he hugged her goodbye and squeezed him back. Stepping back to the door, she felt Anastasia place a hand on her shoulder.

"They won't be gone for long," she reassured the teen. They waved as the car pulled away and disappeared down the drive.

**KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH**

**Dolphin-san: For anyone who is still thinking 'but this chapter didn't really explain anything' there will be more explanation in the next chapter.**

**Ja Ne.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Dolphin-san: Hey everyone. I'm sooo sorry for this taking ages to come out. It is apparently a lot harder than I thought it would be to re-write chapters. Also I made the mistake of buying some books. When I start reading I just can't stop lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks again to ****XOKiyokoAoiXO** **and ****justareader10**** for their lovely reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.**

Regular

_Thought_

**Dream/memory**

"_**Bit Beast Speech."**_

**KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHK**

Kai stood at the edge at of the Beydish, unaware of the cheering girls in the crowd as they tried to gain his attention. His eyes were focused solely on the battle while his mind wandered. Random flashes of memory kept jumping to the foreground of his thoughts, distracting him from the match. Dranzer clashed against the other Beyblade, sending sparks across the dish.

_**A dark grey Beyblade crashed violently against Dranzer, pushing her back towards the edge of the dish. Kai gritted his teeth and willed his bit beast not to give up.**_

"_**Focus, Kai. You need to put all of your will into the match, you can't half ass it. Otherwise Dranzer won't see you as a worthy partner."**_

_**Kai stared across at Reiko as she called back her Beyblade before it succeeded in crushing Dranzer. He caught his blade as it shot out of the dish into his outstretched hand and sank down to kneel next to the rim. Reiko walked around and sat next to him, her legs dangling into the Beydish. She leaned back on her arms and looked up at the stars dotting the velvety black sky. **_

_**It had been a week since Kai had been given Dranzer by his Grandfather, and he had asked Reiko to help him master the power of the bit beast. The only problem that had presented itself so far was that he had been forbidden from seeking help, as it would be seen as a weakness. Kai had been extremely grateful that Reiko had disregarded this and had agreed without complaint. This had led them to where they were now; sitting wrapped up from the chill of the Russian winter, in the dead of night at one of the outdoor practise dishes that was farthest from the main building of the Abbey so they couldn't be heard.**_

_**Kai looked down at his Beyblade and hid a smile behind his scarf. The image of Dranzer seemed to glow red at him and he felt as though the blade was warming his hand, as though the bit beast was welcoming him. He shifted to a more comfortable sitting position and faced Reiko.**_

"_**Please don't try to thank me again." Reiko had moved her weight onto one hand while she held the other up to stop Kai from speaking. "I know how much receiving Dranzer meant to you, even though you hate your Grandfather, so I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you won't have her taken away. No matter how long it takes."**_

"_**It's just a lot more power than I thought it would be," Kai said as he pocketed his Beyblade. Reiko smirked.**_

"_**You'll have to get used to referring to Dranzer as 'she' now, not 'it'." Reiko sternly told him. "Your Beyblade is merely a container for her power, always remember that Kai, because she won't forgive you if you forget it."**_

_**Kai lay back to look up at the stars and smiled to himself again. Dranzer had been his Grandfathers gift to him for his seventh birthday, though he had to endure a stern lecture of what it would cost him should he fail to harness her power. Even that hadn't dampened his spirits because he was now in possession of his very own bit beast. It was an honour that not all of the children at the Abbey were allowed. He guiltily admitted to himself that he had been jealous of Reiko when she had received her bit beast Jiana the year before. He had not realised what a great amount of work she had been forced to undergo by herself while training Jiana and was once again filled with gratitude that she was not making him do this alone.**_

_**He sighed and watched as the puff of condensed air that formed slowly drifted away on the breeze. Glancing over at Reiko, Kai noticed that she had her blade out and was absentmindedly tracing a finger around the edges of the attack ring. The small image of the black tiger flashed as it caught the light off the moon.**_

"_**We should head back inside before you catch a cold."**_

_**Reiko's voice was soft and warm. Kai blushed as he knew that she didn't often speak like this. This was a tone she seemed to reserve for him. They moved silently back towards one of the smaller buildings of the complex, where the children slept, ducking into the shadows as a bleary-eyed night guard passed them. Pausing at the door to Kai's room, Reiko hugged him briefly. He was glad for the dark hallway as he was sure his face now matched his crimson eyes.**_

"_**You're going to be a great Beyblader one day Kai. I just know it," Reiko whispered in the darkness as she pulled away from him.**_

Kai was brought out of his thoughts by a loud cheer from the crowd and realised he had been on auto pilot for most of the match. His opponent seemed to think he was gaining the upper hand and was show boating a bit for the crowd.

_Thank God this is just an exhibition match for charity_, Kai thought as he focused on what was going on and deciding to finish it quickly. Dranzer picked up on his renewed attention and flames began to swirl around her as she bore down on her opponent and swiftly knocked the blade out of the dish. Once again ignoring the screaming fan girls in the crowd, he made his way back over to his team before leading them out of the stadium. Kai pulled out his phone to text Johnathan to pick them up while the others sat down on the low wall by the road.

"Tyson," Kai spoke without looking up from his phone, "you were pretty good out there today, but some of your attacks are getting sloppy. When we get back I want you to do some practice drills with Dragoon before dinner."

Tyson almost overbalanced on the wall as he started open-mouthed up at Kai. "But I've been practically training non-stop for the last week! Can't I have the day off?" he whined.

"Yeah Kai, you know you haven't always won all of your own battles before."

The team turned at the sound of the familiar voice behind them. Kai grinned.

"Tala. I didn't know you were in town." He walked over to the smirking red head and embraced him.

"Well, Bryan and I have been travelling," Tala motioned to the pale boy next to him, "living life to the full since the BBA shut down Biovolt and relocated us to Japan. It's been great."

"We heard that the Bladebreakers would be at this match and wanted to properly thank you for what you have done for us and all of the children whose lives were affected by Biovolt." Bryan formally bowed to the team. Tyson rubbed at the back of his head, feeling awkward while Max and Ray both bowed back.

"We were just having a look around for a place to stay. Bryan was getting tired of moving around so much and I'd suggested just moving into a flat. Since we knew you had a place near here, Kai, we thought it would be a good idea to pick a place here." Tala grinned at Kai. "You know, so we will have at least one friend here."

"Why did the BBA relocate you here?" Max asked as he pulled a bottle of water out of the bag Anastasia had given to Ray. "Do you have family in Japan?"

Tala thought hard on how to answer. "Well, not really. After Biovolt got shut down and everything, Mr Dickenson wanted everyone to go back to their families. That's where Ian and Spencer are," he mentioned to Kai, who nodded in understanding. "For some of the younger children who had no family, they were put into care, not that Mr Dickenson seemed very happy about it but there wasn't much else he could do. As for us," Tala nodded his head towards his silent companion, "we were too old to go into care, but we had no family to speak of. So we came up with an agreement; if we agreed to do research and investigation for the BBA, we could come to Japan with Mr Dickenson. But like I said, Bryan was getting tired of it so we've been allowed to settle in one place. We really owe a lot to that old guy."

"That must be why Reiko's here then," Ray said as he glanced quickly at Bryan. "She must have been relocated same as you guys."

Tala frowned at Ray. "I had no idea she was here." He looked over at Kai for confirmation, who nodded. "Reiko was moved before Biovolt was shut down, none of us knew where she had gone and we were forbidden to ask about her. Not even Katsina and Setsuko were told anything about it."

Tyson was confused. "Who are you talking about?"

"Katsina Saratov and Setsuko Haruno." Tala looked apologetically around the assembled group. "They're the other members of Reiko's team, that's why it was so weird at the time that even they knew nothing. So Reiko's really here? It's actually a relief to know that. I couldn't stop myself from thinking that maybe she had been . . . but I never stopped looking for her when we were travelling, you never know what you could hear when you're on the road." He shrugged.

"Reiko's staying with us at the moment," Kai told the red-head. "Only since last night though, so I have no idea what she's been doing since back then." Kai dropped his voice so only Tala and Bryan could hear him. "You should have seen her when I found her. She'd been beaten badly by someone, I couldn't just leave her." He didn't mention to the other boys about his seeming memory loss when it came to the dark-haired girl; he got the impression that they wouldn't be very pleased.

"You guys should come over and say hi. I'm sure Reiko would be happy to have visitors, especially if you haven't seen each other in a while." Ray called over from where he was shouldering his bag. Johnathan had pulled up next to the curb and was holding the door for them. "Kai made her stay at home because of her injuries," he said with a grin.

Tala stared at him wide eyed before turning to Kai as they walked to the car. "Did you look the doors and windows and chain her to a chair?"

"No," said Kai, bewildered and alarmed, "why would I have done that?"

Tala gave Kai a searching look and Kai instantly knew his cover was blown. Tala had realised that he couldn't remember Reiko or anything to do with her.

"Because just telling Reiko to stay put doesn't stop her." Kai sighed, knowing that Tala wasn't going to call him on his forgetfulness. Tala grinned as he climbed into the car after Bryan and said over his shoulder to Kai, "She'll just up and leave whenever she feels like it and nothing can get in her way."

Back at the Hiwatari mansion, Reiko was absentmindedly flicking through channels on TV while dangling her legs over the side of the couch. She stretched her arms out in front of her and heard a satisfying pop in her shoulder.

_There's never anything good on TV these days,_ she thought as she swung her legs back down onto the floor and switching off the screen. _I should probably go home to get my stuff. Not to mention the girls will probably be worrying about where I went._

"_**You shouldn't do that, you know."**_ Jiana appeared draped languidly on a chair. She stared up at Reiko. _**"Kai told you to stay inside."**_

"And when have I ever had to listen to what Kai tells me?" Reiko said grumpily to her bit beast.

"_**You used to listen to him. You would have listened to Tala,"**_ Jiana mumbled, looking away from the other girls piercing gaze. Reiko turned her back on the dark skinned girl.

"I haven't seen Tala for a couple of years now. I never should have listened; never should have trusted him when he said he'd be there for me. I stayed put and waited for him, to help me, and he never came. It's why I ended up here in this state." She motioned angrily at her bruised form.

"_**I know that, Reiko. And you should know that Tala would have got you if Boris hadn't managed to move you before he could get to you."**_ Jiana sat up and reached out to Reiko.

"Well then he should have come for me sooner!" Reiko swiped furiously at her eyes as tears threatened to fall. "Forget it, I'm going." With that, she stormed out the front door and started running.

"_**You can run away from everyone else, but I'm always going to be here for you."**_ Jiana's voice sounded from in Reiko's mind.

_I know,_ Reiko thought back as she finally let the tears fall. _I know you will._

She continued running through the city, ignoring the sleek black car that drove past in the direction she had come from.

Kai turned in his seat to look back at the dark haired figure as she ran round a corner.

"Was that Reiko?" Ray asked as he followed Kai's line of sight.

"Johnathan, stop the car and let me out," Kai said urgently. The second the car came to a halt, he jumped out, closely followed by Tala. As the door slammed shut behind them, Johnathan started to drive again.

"I guess it was," Max said, bewildered at the actions of his companions. Bryan shifted nervously when he realised he was left sitting alone next to Ray.

"Kai, wait up!" Tala called, catching up to Kai as he turned another corner and he spotted the ends of Reiko's long hair whip out of sight ahead.

Kai's teeth were gritted and he frowned as he picked up his pace to try and keep Reiko in sight. "I told her to stay put! What if she gets attacked again? That fool," he growled.

"I told you she wouldn't stay put," Tala panted as they finally saw Reiko disappear into a block of flats.

Upstairs in the flat, a girl with short, dark spiked hair and red streaks walked towards the door where someone was pounding on it from the other side.

"If you don't stop that right now I'm going to come out there and kick your teeth in!" she yelled through the door.

A muffled, but familiar, voice answered, "Come on, Setsuko, let me in already. I've lost my key and you know I've never trusted this place."

Setsuko unlocked the door and threw it open to reveal her silver eyed friend. "Where have you been all night? We were up worrying, you know," she said as she pulled Reiko into a hug.

Reiko placed a kiss on the top of her hair before moving into the living room of the small apartment, where she spotted a petite girl standing at the window and peering out from between the curtains. She smiled. "What no hug?" Reiko asked the red haired girl innocently.

"Reiko! Thank God you're safe!" The teen practically threw herself into Reiko's open arms with relief.

"Hey, Katsina, I take it you missed me?" Reiko laughed as she placed a small kiss on the short teens head before releasing her.

"Of course we did. What happened to you? You said you were just going to get something to eat from that noodle house down the road." Katsina glared accusatory at her younger friend.

"That was my plan, but I met up with some very unwelcome people," Reiko told them as she moved over to the kitchenette to get a biscuit.

Setsuko opened her mouth to question her further, but was interrupted by another knock at the door. Sighing angrily, she stomped back over and wrenched the door open.

"If you don't piss off right now I'll –"

Her words trailed off to silence as she took in the two boys standing in the hallway. It may have been a few years since she had last laid eyes on them, and she knew that her own appearance had changed a lot since then, but there was no mistaking that she knew who they were. The dual-haired boy bowed politely before speaking.

"Hello. We were just wondering if a Miss Yin Kon, or Reiko, was here. We would try elsewhere but this seems to be the only inhabited apartment." Kai kept his tone polite as he spoke to the short girl who had answered the door. He forced a smile as she continued to glare at him. "Is she here?"

"Why do you want to know?" Setsuko asked him. It was clear that neither Kai nor Tala recognised her now after so long, but she wasn't willing to forgive either of them for abandoning Reiko as they had each done in their own way.

Tala matched the girls glare with a frown of his own. "I don't think we need to tell you why we're looking for her. Now, he asked you a question. Are you going to answer it or not?"

"Hmm, I really don't think I have to tell you anything," Setsuko said, mocking Tala's tone. The red head was about to angrily respond before Reiko decided to speak up from the kitchenette.

"It's fine you guys, I know why they're here." She walked over to stand next to Katsina. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood defiantly across from Kai. "How did you know where I was?"

"You ran past the car when we were on our way back. I thought I'd asked you to stay at home?" Kai moved farther into the apartment, ignoring the protests from Setsuko. "Why didn't you just stay put?"

"This is my home, you know. I had to come back to make sure these two were okay." Reiko draped her arm over Katsina's shoulder. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry so much, Kai."

"I had my reasons for not wanting you to leave," Kai said gently as he touched Reiko's arm. "You should come back with us."

"What were they?" Katsina piped up, raising one eyebrow at the taller boy. "What were your reasons?"

Kai turned cold ruby eyes on the stranger standing too close for his liking next to Reiko. "I'm not likely to tell you, now, am I?"

Reiko stiffened and pulled away from Kai's touch. "Then I'm not going back with you. How dare you come barging into my home, insult my friends and think you can boss me around?" She squared off against Kai, forcing him back towards the door. "You have no right over my life to tell me what to do, and I'll damn well go where ever I want!"

Just as Kai was backed out the door, Reiko finally noticed who the second voice had come from. Stopping in her tracks, she did a double take and stared open mouthed at the tall red head standing next to her.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to ask incredulously, before Tala moved forward quickly and enveloped her in a massive hug, lifting the shorter teen off her feet slightly.

"I can't believe you're actually here," Tala laughed joyously. "I didn't want to quite believe it when Ray told me that they'd seen you." He let go and stood back to look at Reiko properly. "You look as pretty as ever."

Reiko blushed furiously. "Don't think that compliments will make me forgive you, Tala. I haven't forgotten the promise you broke." She pulled stiffly away from Tala as his face fell. Looking over at Kai, she took a steadying breath before addressing him again. "As long as these two," she motioned to Setsuko and Katsina, "are here, this is where I'm going to stay. You can't say anything to change my mind. I'm sorry."

Kai closed his eyes in resignation, sighing. _God damn, why must she be so difficult? I don't want to leave her here, but she won't leave her friends alone._

_**Isn't the answer to your question a very easy one?**_

Kai twitched at the sudden intrusion of another consciousness in his own as the female voice rang in his head. Relaxing again as he realised it must be Jiana, he focused on communicating with her.

_Well what is this easy answer then?_ he asked. The sound of light laughter filled his mind.

_**You don't have to focus that much to talk to me, Kai. Just think normally as you always would and I can hear it.**_Kai could tell the bit beast was smiling. _** And all you have to do is take the other two with you. Then Reiko will be in a place where you feel she is safe and secure, and she won't be constantly worrying about her friends and trying to go back to them.**_

The dual haired boy let out a sigh as the simplicity of the plan hit him. He opened his eyes and stared at Reiko, glancing at the other girls standing behind her. He was sure he'd probably end up regretting this.

"Look, I get why you don't want to leave them, but I really would feel better if you came back with me." It wasn't lost on the girls that Kai had dropped saying 'with them'. "If you would both be okay with it, your friends can come with us to live at my home. Would you consider coming back then?"

Reiko turned to look at her friends. All Kai and Tala could see were their eyes darting from one to another. No words were exchanged; though Kai suspected a telepathic conversation was going on to keep the two boys out. At last they all turned back to the two in the hallway.

"We've decided that if you would really be alright with two more people moving in, then we'll come with you." Setsuko levelled her gaze at Kai. "That's the only way we'll let Reiko leave with you."

"Fine." Kai's temper was getting short and he knew that his control wouldn't last much longer if the conversation continued. "Just hurry and collect your stuff. You probably won't need to bring much with you just now, we can send for the rest you want to bring along later. We can leave as soon as you're ready."

The girls headed off back into the apartment to collect their belongings while Kai let out a frustrated sigh. Tala leaned against the wall opposite the door and watched silently as Kai called Johnathan to pick them up and to tell Anastasia that there would be two more living with them.

"You sure you're alright with this, Kai?" Tala asked as Kai hung up the phone.

Kai just glanced up before continuing to fiddle with the device in his hands. "I'm just going to have to go with it, Tala. You didn't see her last night. I need to keep her safe and if this is the only way I can do that then. . ."

Tala understood what Kai meant. The other boy usually had quite a reserved personality after all. Ten minutes later, the girls were back with backpacks slung over their shoulders and Setsuko locked up after them. The group made their way downstairs in time to see Johnathan pulling into the street.

"We'll someone to give us directions, or we can just follow your car if that's alright?" Katsina said from beside a dark car that Setsuko was busy unlocking the boot of to stow their bags.

"I can ride with you guys." Tala made his way over to the two waiting girls. He grinned over his shoulder at Kai. "Reiko can go with you and Johnathan."

"That's fine with us." Setsuko climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine as Johnathan held open the door for Kai and Reiko.

The drive back to Kai's home was quiet in the car. Reiko sat next to Kai, staring out the window. She let her hand wander over to find Kai's and she loosely wound their fingers together. Kai glanced over at her and noticed that her expression never changed while she did this, making him think that the movement had been unconscious. He looked out the opposite window, pink tingeing his cheeks, as the car sped its way out to the edge of the city where Kai's home was situated.

The ride wasn't long by car and soon they were pulling up at the front door with Setsuko's car following suit. They all piled through the door into the entrance hall and the girls instantly dropped their bags down. Ray, who had been walking through from the kitchen, stopped in his tracks when he spotted another two new figures before him.

"Who the hell is this now?" he asked incredulously, hardly believing that his team captain had brought more strangers home.

"Well, you've met Ray now at least," Kai said as he took off his shoes and gave Ray a questioning look about his tone. "MAX! TYSON! Come here please!" Kai called out to the rest of his team. The boys came jogging out of the living room, while Bryan came down the hall, drawn by the noise. Everyone stared at the two newcomers as they also took off their shoes and put on the slippers Anastasia offered them.

"Who's this?" Max looked from Kai to Reiko to Tala and back again.

Reiko picked her bag up again before answering him. She motioned to the red streak haired girl on her left. "This is Setsuko Haruno and," she waved to the short red head on her right, "this is Katsina Litvinov. They're my team mates."

"Team mates?" Tyson looked confused.

"Beyblade team I mean. Our name's Silver Blaze."

**KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHK**

**Dolphin-san: Well I hope that was worth the wait. Sorry again to everyone who was waiting for this. I'll really try to get these chapters finished faster.**

**Ja Ne.**


End file.
